The present invention relates to a Co-based alloy exhibiting enhanced high-temperature strength and enhanced high-temperature oxidation resistance. The Co-based alloy of the present invention also exhibits increased fluid wear resistance and enhanced molten glass corrosion resistance.
Conventional glass fiber formation involves heating molten glass to about 1000 degrees Celsius, and loading the molten glass into a spinneret which is then rotated at high speed (1700 revolutions per minute, for example) to extrude the molten glass from nozzles radially disposed along the side wall of the spinneret utilizing centrifugal force. It is known that the glass fiber forming spinnerets must exhibit adequate high-temperature strength and be high-temperature oxidation resistant in addition to being molten glass corrosion resistant. As such, the spinneret may be made of a Co-based alloy, which has been described in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 63-30384, for example.
In an attempt to improve wear resistance of prior art turbine nozzles and gas turbine vanes Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 3-43813 teaches the use of Co-based alloys for making turbine nozzles and gas turbine vanes.
In recent years, gas turbine output and speed of glass fiber formation have greatly increased. This, in turn, has created a concomitant demand for gas turbine components and glass fiber forming spinnerets exhibiting high-temperature strength. However, neither any of the aforementioned prior art Co-based alloys nor various other attempts at Co-based alloys have achieved a sufficiently high strength at elevated temperatures to continue to be operational over time.
Since conventional gas turbine components and glass fiber forming spinnerets have failed to adequately address this problem of durability during repeated cycles of high-temperature usage, the need to create alloys with enhanced heat, high-temperature fluid resistance, oxidation and molten glass corrosion resistance properties remains.
The present invention aims at providing a Co-based alloy which exhibits enhanced high-temperature strength and increased resistance properties.